Monthly Archives: October 2017

After the yamas, the niyamas, and asana—that is, the ethical principles and physical practice of yoga—yogis learn to control the breath. Managing the breath, called pranayama, is the fourth limb of yoga. (You’ll recall there are eight limbs.) In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali gives us some insight into the purpose of managing the breath. In […]

In the Yoga Sutras, we learn that asana—the “physical exercise” part of yoga—is one of eight limbs that comprise the yoga lifestyle. Often, students of classical yoga philosophy point out that Western yoga overemphasizes asana and mostly neglects other aspects of the practice. But that doesn’t mean we should overlook the benefits of a physical […]

The yamas and niyamas, you’ll recall, are the first two limbs of yoga. If are a regular reader of the Track Yoga blog or a student of classical yoga, you’ve heard these terms. The yamas and niyamas are principles for living the yoga lifestyle. But what are the benefits of the yamas and niyamas? Some […]

Daily life can be a roller coaster. When things are going well, it’s easy to think positively. But obviously, things don’t always go well. We all have challenges and times when things don’t go our way. Dealing with negative thoughts can be difficult, but fortunately for yogis, our practice teaches us how to do it. […]

The second limb of yoga — the niyamas — is closely connected to the first. The first limb (the yamas, or “restraints”) are five principles that describe how yogis should behave. The niyamas are sometimes referred to as fixed observances. Like the yamas, they are about behavior, but the behaviors are more internal. One way […]